


You Don't Know Me

by AkoWEEE



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: AU, Drama, Flashbacks, High School AU, Love, M/M, Multi, Neighbors, Sad, You Don't Know Me as the inspiration, friends - Freeform, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-26 20:07:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7588279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkoWEEE/pseuds/AkoWEEE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry fell in love with Louis from the very moment he saw him. He was 4 years old when it happened. Now he was 16, and his heart still belonged to the boy even if his wasn't returned. Or was it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Love Story

**Author's Note:**

> This story had been in storage for a while now and I never felt the inspiration to actually share it. But it's back. So here is my second Larry Fanfiction (a chaptered one) Enjoy! Love you all and more power to the fandom!

        It’s funny how love turns out to be.

The word itself is as scary as the heavy meaning behind the letters. They say, _“Love is love,”_ but what does that really mean? Love can have a million non-logical explanations and an infinite number of stupid reasons for existing; in the end does it really matter? Love is there. It exists everywhere in the entire world.

Love doesn’t have to be difficult.

Love is a vow that has only one purpose and one purpose only; to be received and be returned. The hardest part of love is when it is never returned or wasn’t meant to be given in the first place. When you give your heart to someone who doesn’t even see you, it can either be the most painful thing you could do to yourself or be the greatest secret you can ever keep. And some loves are worth getting your heart broken over. All that matters is the person behind it all, because what is a world without love? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

People go to war for love. People died for love. Maybe that’s the point. To know a love that exceeds beyond the limits and expectations; to be the greatest of all the known stories or bigger than the constellations in the night sky and be the brightest than the morning star.

Of course what love could be better than the untold tales, because this story is one of them. Simple and ordinary. But then again what love story isn’t? 

 

~*~

 

At a young age, Harry knew the difference between pretty things and normal things. Louis was neither.

Louis is what Harry thought was “words beyond compare.” He is what the imagination would fail to compete with. Louis was like a dream that he never wanted to wake up from.

He was…… he was Louis.

Harry Edward Styles has been in love with his long time neighbor Louis William A. Tomlinson; the captain of the soccer team, student body president, lead performer of the drama club, homecoming prince, and soon to be prom king, for thirteen years and counting.

And that was normal. Right?

It had to be.

For sure it was. Everyone in school was completely smitten by Louis, so why couldn’t he? 

Even in their village. Anyone who laid eyes on him, exchange a few brief words or even heard of Louis would make anyone curious and captured.

So what was the difference?

Oh… Right…

He’s a guy. And guys aren’t supposed to find other guys attractive, let alone beautiful – handsome maybe, cool even, but words like beautiful or stunning?- never. Sure they live in an age where being gay wasn’t a crime punishable by death anymore – thank God that’s over - and no one is ‘a hundred percent straight’ these days, but not everyone share the same interest and understanding when it comes to the idea.

It’s not that Harry was a still in the closet as they would phrase, but altogether he was a ‘keep it to yourself’ sort of bloke. If people would ask him, he’d tell the truth without shame. He’d say, _"yeah I’m gay."_ Otherwise he’d say nothing at all as long as no one is asking. He’s not one known to flaunt his thoughts anyways, nevermind his sexual preference.

Besides, if he did decide to speak out his thoughts he’d most likely to shout about the secret obsession of his entire life: Louis Tomlinson.

God he was so creepy. Louis would think he was too if he could hear his thoughts.

_Louis’ eyes. Louis’ nose. Louis’ hair. Louis’ lashes. Louis’ lips. Louis bum..._

This endless parade of one particular name echoed into Harry’s mind every morning to the present. He was just walking down the school lobby, minding his own business when he was suddenly thrashed by an opening door. His body hit the ground with a force, his books scatter to the ground next to him. He felt incredible amount of soreness on his eye it felt like exploding out of its socket.

_Why me?_

        “Shit! Are you okay?” Said a familiar, gentle, yet alarmed voice.

Harry looked up to see it was Louis. Of course, it was him. If there was one thing Harry knew about fate, it was that it was the cruel to him.

_Crap. Not you. Anyone else but you._

        “Come on, let’s get you up.” Louis was already crouching down, half way through his sentence before he was finished, pulling Harry to his feet.

Louis crouched again, this time to pick up Harry’s forgotten textbooks. He handed them back to Harry and paused, “I’m so sorry, about that. Are you okay?” his hand made its way to Harry’s trembling arm.

In Harry’s mind he wanted to yell at him for being so naive and stupid.     

 _Of course I’m not okay! I fell and landed my bum. On top of that you hit my eye with the door. NEWS FLASH!_   

Harry could only nod fervently, keeping his eyes away from Louis’. It was only so much a bloke can take, he took his books instead.

_Oh yeah and I’ve been in love with you ever since I could remember, so no matter what you do, even if it causes me physical, emotional, and mental pain, my thoughts won’t coordinate with my actions._

Louis seemed a little hesitant with Harry, but none the less what can he do if Harry says he’s okay?

        “Okay,” Louis let out a breathe, “Well then,” he gave Harry a light pat and turned his way down the lobby with a quick, “See you around, Harry.”

Harry watched Louis walk to his respected class, leaving him alone with his incoherent thoughts. 

_I’m an Idiot._

Barely breathing, he cradled his textbooks so close, thinking that maybe if he held them tight he could calm down the insistent flattering of his heart and blinked a few times to get his sight right and went to class.

        “Harreh!”

Harry sighs at his best friend’s big ball of energy, and after ten years of friendship he still isn’t used to his never ending optimism about life. It was only 9 afterall, lunch time might kick him in.

        “Glad to see you’re alive, Niall.” Harry comments, due to last night’s events

        “Hah! Funneh.” Below Niall’s thick Irish accent, Harry can still hint the sarcasm there.

Harry wasn’t kidding thought. According to Niall’s insistent, round-the-clock text updates, the party was a blast and wished Harry went. After eight ciders, half a keg and a bag of marshmallows  -jumbo pack - Harry was expecting a nasty hang over, panda eyes, and just a plain mess. Instead he was met with the same, cheerful blonde, with sparkly blue eyes, and easy-go-lucky smiling lad.

        “I’m not even gonna ask why you’re still here.” Cause he knew what Niall would say.

        “I’m Irish, lad. It’s a blessin’ realleh.” Niall said it anyways, clutching onto his chest where his heart was, reciting dramatically.

Harry rolled his eyes but stops when his eyes felt even worse than before. He proceeded to seat on his usual chair, at the back of the class where anyone but Niall notices him; His sanctuary in a classroom.

        “Bloodeh ‘ell Harreh,” Niall exclaimed as he sat beside his friend. “the ‘ell ‘appened to yer eye?”

Harry blinked and winced, feeling a slight pressure on his eye.

Dubiously he had to ask, “That obvious?”

Niall instantly tapped the girl to his left and mumbled a charming, “Ey babe, mind if I borrow yer compact?” He made sure to thicken his accent more.

It was moments like this when Harry thinks that Niall is a girl because really, compact?

The girl doesn’t seem to come to the same conclusion as Harry does as she smiles, reaching to her purse and handed a foundation kit.

Niall winked making the girl giggle, “Thanks honeh,”

Harry had to snort. 

_Flirty, leprechaun._

Harry easily accepts the kit and surprises himself as he sees his reflection.

        “Woah!” Harry lowly whistled, examining his face for more possible injuries.

Niall snorted, “Mhmm.” He sounded really pleased with himself.

When he gave back the kit to the girl with of course the ‘hand kiss’ charm that totally worked, Niall asked his bestfriend,

        “How did that happened anyway? When you said you had something to do last night I never-“

        “No no,” Harry quickly cleared before he could finish his sentence. “it’s nothing.”

Niall looked at his friend with a worried sigh.

        “Harry I worry about you.”

_Oh God, here we go._

        “I told you staying in your room with those comics and shit won’t do any good!”

        “Those were your comics and shit lying on my floor.” Harry reminded his friend with a scowl. It didn’t matter anyways, those books graphic novels were a good read on lonely days. 

        “Doesn’t matter!” The blonde waves him off to continue, “The point is while I’m out enjoying my senior year just like everybody else, you practically live inside your hostile room-”

        “It isn’t hostile,”

        “-plotting some kind of mob hit or worse a murder. And I didn’t do anything.”

        “Yes, because all mafias and killers started out as teenagers who have nothing to do but stay in their room reading comics all day and doing their homework at night with their mothers checking in once in a while.” Harry supports with much needed sarcasm. He leaned against the back of his chair, chuckling a little. “You’re being overly dramatic again, have you forgotten to take your medication this morning?” It was meant to come off as a joke, but even with Harry’s light manner the words were said with a halfhearted inquiry.

        Now Niall wasn’t ill per say – as he would proclaim – but the young Irish lad was more special than others.

After his older brother, Greg, was born their parents discovered that they would have more difficulty in having another child. They tried adopting but every kid they brought home found a bit of a struggle to adjust to their family and every time the social worker would take the kid away it was always the same words, _“It’s not you. It’s just harder for some children to cope with a new environment…”_ Mr. Horan wanted to return his on reply of mockery whenever he heard those words. It took five children to leave their house for them to finally put an end with adoption and resort to other options.

Surrogacy was completely out of the question for the Horans – more so to Niall’s mother. She couldn’t bore the fact that since she couldn’t carry her own baby that it would resulted to someone else carrying it for her. It would be too painful for any mother to see someone she didn’t even know to nurture her child for nine months in exchange for money – and it wasn’t about money at all. They were rich. Mr. Horan owns several establishments in Ireland and in London enough to last their wealth for generations, so money wasn’t an issue. That is when their friend came to the rescue who was also a medical technician that works in a facility that specializes in growing uniquely gentrified babies.

And that was how Niall came to be. He didn’t spend nine months in his mother’s womb and woke up in a hospital. He was modified in a petri dish and was genetically engineered by doctors and medical techs from the moment he was just an embryo.

There weren’t complications. None of course. But there were some things he lacked in. It wasn’t the doctors’ fault when chance decided to happen. Scientifically the chances of a slight “abnormality” during this project was a billion in one, turns out that Niall was that special one. 

There is a specific level of hormones, substances, and pH the body and brain need in order to function at a normal rate. Niall lacked some of them which led him to sometimes hallucinate, or pass out, or have inability speak, walk, move. Once when he was young, he started to hear certain voices in his mind telling him to commit suicide or that his food was poisoned, just because he missed one particular yellow pill in his meds. He promised himself to never again miss a single medication in his schedule. It was a slight schizophrenia stage in his life he wanted to forget, and over the years he didn’t need the yellow pill ever again. But there we some medications he had to keep intake of. It was worse years before, when he was just a toddler. It was a time when he had to swallow ten pills in one sitting, every day for years. Now at his age of 17, it only comes down to three. His doctor even mentioned with much delight that there may come a time where he didn’t need to medication anymore and be like any other person who doesn’t regularly need pills to function. The doctor made Niall laugh when he popped a few pills in his mouth and said it was for his liver. In his defense, the doctor was showing an old age.

So Niall didn’t find Harry’s ‘joke’ at all funny. In fact he was rather insulted by that. 

        “Not funny Harry,” He even said so himself, which made Harry nervous when he saw how serious Niall was being.

        “I know, I’m sorry.” Harry amended with sincerity. “But I swear I’m not any of the things you said.” He hoped Niall would go along with the change of topic.

Niall pursed his lips and began to tap his feet, the sound made Harry wiry.

        “Niall seriously, I’m fine. Louis ran me with the door on my way here. It was an accident. I swear.”

Now it Niall who rolled his eyes, “Sure. Cause only _you_ would see it as an accident.”

Good. He went with the change. But now, the topic is one Harry would very much like to avoid.

        “ _It_ was Niall.”

Niall merely just shrugged.

Harry had an irritated face, when someone clapped on his shoulder. He instantly froze. He knew that familiar touch. It made it weak in the knees. Luckily he was seating.

        “Seriously mate, it _was_ an accident.” Louis says to the blonde, then turns his direction the curly head who suddenly went quiet. “Hey, I’m really sorry about that and-” he stopped midsentence when he starts to see how badly Harry’s eye was.

Louis leaned forward, his face close to Harry’s, their eyes meeting, ocean blue blazing with emerald green, with just an inch they could touch, Harry thought.

 _Fuck!_ Harry screamed internally. He really wished he wasn’t coming being obvious with his thoughts. Niall trying his hardest to bite his lips from forming into a face eating-grin was enough to suffice Harry’s query.

 _Piss off Niall!_ Now, that he was showing off with his glare to which only made Niall snigger.

Louis starts to examine Harry’s eye, then the pain was gone.

He felt Louis’ breath on his skin, making his arms raise goose bumps and Harry was so thankful he was wearing something with sleeves, and usually he would be naked and in bed.

_Oh God, stop!_

But here Louis was, so close and tantalizingly beautiful and yet he could not move. And all he is thinking about his Louis’ lips on his, his hands all over his body and his breath blowing his skin. For a second there, he caught Louis staring into his eyes. It didn’t help Harry relax when Louis used his fingers to hold his chin, holding him in place.

Harry gulped with a sound, a slight horror in his eyes. Niall took pity on his friend, afraid of his heart might explode inside his chest.

        “Hey, Louis would you mind,” Niall’s voice brought Harry thoughts into a focus. “my friend here is shy around other people.”

        “Still?” Louis raising a curious brow at the blonde, as if he was surprised to find Harry same as he was when they first met. If that was the case, he didn’t bother to elaborate, and brush off turning to Harry. “Well then, you should go to the clinic, get your eye fixed.”

As he removed his fingers from Harry’s face, the curly-haired lad nodded facing down, trying to hide the flush of his cheeks and got up from his seat he heard Niall shift. His face felt like it was on fire.

        “I’ll go with you mate.” Niall had his hand on Harry’s arm helping him up cause he knew what Louis does to him,

Out the room and in the empty hallway, they didn’t hear Louis mumble a low, “Shit.”

Harry finally released an unsteady breath and took an even bigger one.

        “Man Harry, if you had to get hurt every time Louis would talk to you, you’ll end up at the ICU for sure.” He heard his friend joke around.

Harry bit his lip cause he knew it wasn’t true. 

He glance at the walls on their way to the nurse’s clinic and saw posters of Louis’ angelic face, grinning. The words ‘ **Vote Louis Tomlinson for Prom king!** ’ in thick black letters.

_I’ll end up dead._

 


	2. 'HI' and 'Oops'

_You give your hand to me_

_And then you say hello_

_And I can hardly speak_

_My heart is beating so_

_And everyone can tell_

_You think you know me well_

_Well you don't know me_  

_~*~_

        The first time Harry met Louis he was only four years old, just a little boy with a handful of curly brown locks and big green eyes. He's at that stage where he found everyone scary and still trapped in his shell. Whenever he was with his mother - which was all the time - and someone would greet him a kind _hello_ he’d hide behind his mother's leg; Innocent and of course natural.

Louis on the other hand was everything but the opposite of Harry. He was a year older than him. The age of curiosity, hyper activeness and all things that comes with fun and silliness. He was confident, friendly and handsome. He had the lightest, feathery, brunette hair and the deepest blue of eyes. He was always in a good mood, always smiling - showing off the perfect pearls of his teeth and is the first to initiate a conversation.

Harry still remembers the day Louis' family moved to Cheshire. It was the time he met anyone as bright as the sun. The day that changed him for good.

Harry was playing outside, sitting on the grass with his hands spotted with dirt, occupied with Captain America and Spiderman action figures. Anne - his mother - was busy digging to plant flowers. Roses, she thought, red ones.

That's when a big truck drove by the road followed by a blue minivan, both heading to the house across from Harry's.

Harry calls his mother in the form of a frightened whimper. Of course, Anne automatically directs her attention to her son who suddenly freezes between holding his toys and staring at the opposite side of the street.

Everything and everyone seemed to move with perfect synchronization.

As the car and the truck came to a stop, people automatically opened their doors and from that blue car out leaped a joyous-spirited Louis.

        "Wohoooo!" He practically screams as he sprinted to the direction of the swings in front of the house.

Behind him a little girl with blonde hair quite younger than Harry himself follows him with her chubby, wobbly legs.

        "Boobear, watch over Lot-lot ‘kay?" A woman with dark brunette hair calls at him.

 _He has a mommy too. Like me._ Harry deep thoughts, more so how a four year old would.

        "Looks like we have new neighbors sweetie," Anne tells Harry with much delight. "And look, they have a little boy. Maybe you could bring your toys and share?"

She mumbles something else after that but Harry didn't seem to hear it, still focused on watching the skinny, tanned boy animate.

Louis jumps to sit on the swings and began to push himself up.

        "No more car siiiiiiiiick!" He in his happy state yells and the woman rolls her eyes at him, taking it as a ‘yes mom’ and goes inside the house to make lunch.

Harry wondered if he _hurted_ his bum during that jump, but then stops all together because Louis, he had the biggest smile that could make a man with a heart of stone turn to mush and was laughing without a care in the world - it sounded like music to Harry teeny baby ears.

Louis began to chin up, the sun casting a morning shadow on his tanned face. He closed his eyes then slowly lifts his arms - like a bird soaring in the sky, he bathed in the sun with every swing taking him higher.

Harry wondered again about the strange boy. How he could be like that? With such ease, when Harry can't last for more than five seconds to play alone. His mother always has to be present otherwise he might suffer another panic attack. That's how dependent he is towards his mother.

Yet just across the other side, just meters apart was a little boy who can have fun and be happy without a mommy always glued at his wake.

Harry was beyond jealous. He wanted that. He wanted that so much. But he can't help it though.

Whenever his mother was out of sight his mind drifts into a blurry memory of the time his father left.

He was only two years old when it happened but he remembers. He remembers his dad reading him a bedtime story - the last one he'll ever and falling asleep to his dad’s voice doing impressions of a dinosaur and remembers waking up to a skin crawling feeling on his arms and hears the sound of his dad's car in the drive way. He remembers the way his heart broke into a million tiny pieces as he watched him drove away; the engine and tires disturbing the quite night.

If there was one thing a child shouldn't remember, it is watching a parent leave and being so young, he couldn't do anything but keep his eyes open and mouth closed.

So Harry was afraid of being alone and was always alert on his mother. He only has her. So he holds onto her, firmly.

If that was the case then how come he didn’t noticed his mother’s absence for a whole minute still passing?

        "Baba?"

A high yet quiet pitch voice breaks his concentration and finds his view blocked by a little blonde girl and big blue eyes ogling him curiously right in front of his face.

Harry gulps nervously, the familiar panic started to rise in his chest.

The little girl bore her curious eyes more, finding him odd at the moment and that’s when Harry decided to scream. But before he could, someone else screamed for him.

        “Lottie!”

Harry turns his head to the other side to find the subject of his fascination running towards them.

Harry gulps again.

        “Baba!” Lottie goes more excitedly than before as she sees her brother. She smiles brightly, lifting her small arms towards him.

        “ _What the hell_ were you thinking?” Louis sounded very angry making Harry flinch even though he wasn’t the target of the boy’s anger. Louis takes his sister by her shoulders, holding her firmly at his side. “You know more than to cross the street on your own. What if there was a car?”

Harry could do nothing than watch the two siblings in a one form bicker, as the other one was just looking at him without a hint of his words. Few seconds of delay the little girl just smiles again and throws her small arms up and envelopes her brother in an air crushing embrace.

        “Baba!” She says again, and Harry wondered if that was the only word she knew.

Louis helplessly melts at his clueless sister’s affection and returns to hug her back.

        “You stupid-stupid girl.” He mutters in her hair as he bent down properly. “What would I do without you?”

        “Baba.” She says more firmly as if the word had a different meaning, her eyebrows in an adorable expression of seriousness.

Louis shakes head in humor and just kisses the top of her head.

Out of her embrace, Louis then realized that they were not alone. Not at all in fact.

        “Oops.” He smiles warmly at Harry.

Holding his sister close with one arm, he extends the other. “I’m Louis – Louis Tomlinson and this little trouble maker right here is my sister, Lottie. Nice to meet you--- erm?” Louis stops all together because he didn’t know what to address the other boy as.

Harry absolutely hated this part. The part where the kind stranger introduces himself and he can’t move a finger regardless of all he wants to do is tell the boy his name and shake his hand, but he can’t. Louis got the gist and put down his arm.

        “Harry-bee, say hello back.”

Harry turns back to see his mother by the open door with a tray of biscuits and tea in her hands. He rushes to her side immediately, automatically hiding behind her like his own private protection against whoever it may be.

Anne rolls her eyes as she puts the silver tray down on the table by the side of the door, then smiles at the two siblings.

        “I’m so sorry about that, my son is very shy.” She explains at Harry’s unfortunate expense, looking down she coaxes him to “introduce yourself bee.”

Harry only peeks from the sides of Anne’s tall legs, his fingers tugging her pants.

        “Harry-“

        “No, please don’t bother.” Louis implores quickly with a wave of his hand. “Don’t wanna make him anymore uncomfortable. I get it.”

Louis’ words had touched Harry more than he imagined words could. The idea that Louis was thinking of Harry feelings – someone he hasn’t been properly introduced was enough to make Harry come out behind his mother to show himself.

But yet again, before he could Louis’ mother was calling him across the other side.

        “Louis!”

They all turn to the direction of the Louis’ mother, who waves awkwardly. Anne smiles at her, waving a hand back as if to say ‘welcome to Cheshire.’

Louis’ mother – who then introduces herself the next day as, Jay – indicates her son to go back to their side, something about tea and biscuits.

        “Okay, mum!” Louis shouts over, then says his good bye to his new neighbors. “Have to run. It was nice meeting you—erm?” again, Louis found himself unable to address anyone.

Anne laughs, more to herself as she still have yet to say her name. “It’s Anne sweetheart. It was nice to meet you too –Louis. And you as well, Lottie.”

        “Baba.” Lottie cheers, smiling at the mention of her own name.

Anne could only smile at her. “Don’t be strangers and know that you can  come over anytime."

Louis nods enthusiastically at her offer, and they were off running towards their mother, but not before acknowledging the curly haired boy who is still hiding by his mother.

        “See yah Harry!”

Harry then thinks that no one else could have said his name better than Louis did.

Now within meters apart, Harry finally removes himself from his mother’s shield to look the two siblings run into their mother’s open arms and lifts them without showing effort, placing them on her side and their legs curls around her waist.

        “Such a sweet boy, that Louis is.” He hears Anne tell him.

As usual, Harry doesn’t bother to say anything, because he agrees to that.

With Louis’ chin resting on his mother’s shoulder as she carried both her kids to the house, he meets Harry’s gaze and smiles in the simplest way that seemed to reach his eyes, it made Harry’s heart quicken.

 _It has never done than before._ Harry thinks, incredulous and confused.

Before disappearing altogether inside, Louis lifts his one arm to wave as big as he could, and now was smiling into his mom’s shoulder and looking anywhere but Harry.

        “Oh silly me, the tea must be cold now.” Anne scurries to their forgotten afternoon tea to heat it up again and leaves her son standing and staring at the other house.

Harry’s heart had calm down, but it felt more unnatural the way it normally did. He placed his closed fist to his chest, still focused on the other side he finally speaks.

        “Hi.” He whispered as the boy disappeared into his home. “Louis.”


	3. 'Never'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! After many months of MIA (not that anyone would care) but here is Chapter 3. It's shit, but hey.  
> Won't make any promises but I'll try to add another Chapter by Christmas!!
> 
> Thank you and here we go.

_No you don't know the one_

_Who dreams of you at night_

_And longs to kiss your lips_

_And longs to hold you tight_

_Oh I'm just a friend_

_That's all I've ever been_

_Cause you don't know me_

~*~

          "If I profane with my unworthiest hand

          This Holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:

          My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

          To smooth the rough touch with a tender kiss.”

          Rehearsals were almost finished, but Mr. Sanderson kindly pointed the scene was, “ _just_ _too fucking bearable! I need it to be perfect!!”_ compared with the rest of the play. And he persisted on rehearsing on this particular scene.

            "More passion, please! Louis!"

It’s been two weeks since the whole ‘eye incident,’ happened. Til now, there’s still a light purple bruise sporting on the corner of Harry’s eye. Ever since then, Harry had been treated rather special. As if he was too delicate to even blink. It didn’t hurt as much as it did before. It only does when he touches it but it’s healing rather nicely. When he came home on that particular day, his mom went ballistic. Frantically she demanded the name of the culprit. But, with the clever lie of _accidentally_ hitting himself with his locker, in a hurry to collect his books, she managed calmed down. And it wasn’t a total lie. Harry did get hit with a door. Besides, he was certain that if he did tell her the truth she’d be marching to the opposite house and have a screaming session with Jay –despite them being good friends and neighbors. And he wanted to avoid that as much as possible. Or anything involving a particular blue-eyed lad.

His teachers were especially, providing him with extra care. Not that he was complaining. Maybe a little bit. But it really didn’t felt fair on Harry’s part. Harry was smart and loved the challenges when it came to his academics. They all refrained from letting him do homework – despite him having already done all of it the previous night and handing it out. He felt rather more underappreciated than ever. He likes the sense of accomplishment in his works. It was the only thing he excelled in school. He wasn’t that outgoing as he wanted to be, he wasn’t that creative as he needed to be, only had a handful –now that is an exaggeration, he had three, counting his mother – of friends, and he always admired Niall’s musically inclined talent. So yeah, if there was one thing Harry took immense pleasure with the spotlight, it was in his grades. And now even that was taken from him.

And so, this is how he ended up “volunteering” in the drama department, all thanks to the source of his problems; Louis Tomlinson, who had overheard the situation and suggested how the drama department could always use an extra pair of hands. It was not even a problem with Mr. Sanderson – the head of the department and was neither compliant nor complaining about Harry’s willingness. But how he was going to be able to help was a mystery to him. What is he going to do, perfectly calculate the dimensions of the stage? Make sure the lights are spot on for every dialog? Nope. That was for the creative department. So what did he do exactly?

            “Water!” Someone from the dressing room calls. “And crisps!”

Yep. He was the PA. The production assistant of the department. Cool title right? If only it were as profoundly satisfying as the job. Basically, he was responsible in ensuring everyone – every single one – was hydrated and fed, in charge running around doing errands like texting on their phones when the cast are busy to reply, telling them they were _“pretty,”_ _“not fat at all,”_ _“uh.. Zayn, Perrie wants to know if you want to meet her parents next week.”_ – the look of total panic went up on Zayn’s face and he forgot to say his line was completely priceless- when trying their costumes, doing their _homeworks_ – there are at least thirty people part of the department, and watching over their stuff when they’re on stage, cause apparently things go missing when you take your eyes for one second, and helping them rehearse their lines.

So in all honesty, he was the dog –scratch that. He was the slave. Ah, the wonders of the performing arts. Lovely. 

It's Friday now, and it doesn't matter if the school closes before they end the scene or go home nearing midnight, because the director claimed it was better to be home late because of school activities rather than, “ _all the useless shit you do on a regular basis.”_

How is it, that he’d always look at Harry everytime he said that? Did he have the face of a guilty suspect? Is it that obvious how tame he was spending his senior year? Tame yes, because Harry profusely refuses to be called pathetic, so shut up. Maybe he _should_ get out more. Hang out with Niall and Cher. They were always inviting him to go with them. But he’d end up being the third wheel. Again. It's hard to be the only single person in a group when everyone else has someone.

 _Gaaaah I need a life.._ Harry screamed in thought.

            "Okay Louis, now take Eleanor in your arms." Mr. Sanderson made to exaggerate, clutching his arms to his chest, dramatically like his life depended on this scene.

Harry physically had to hold back an eye roll from how little Ms. Perfect's mouth twitched for a second and he was the only one who seemed to notice.

Not that it matters anyways. Eleanor was Juliet, Romeo’s star cross lover as well as Louis’ current girlfriend. He says current cause nothing lasts after high school. They’re bond to break-up sometime.

            “…give me my sin again!”

 _I’m so bitter._ He thought irritably, at himself.

            "Okay Louis this is the easy part.” Mr. Sanderson starts and Harry felt like hurling up his lunch. “Kiss her.”

And Louis does. He placed his delicate fingers on Eleanor’s chin and with a lingering pace he connected their lips together, slow and soft.

This, Harry couldn’t watch. It’s bad enough that Louis didn’t return his feelings for him, but now he has to watch him exchange saliva with someone else everyday after school, and sometimes in-between. No. He averted my eyes.

            “No! No! No!” The director ‘s strong protest instantly made the couple break contact and he was making his way up the stage.

 _Thank God,_ Harry was dancing in the inside, trying to contain his glee. It didn’t last long for it only meant they weren’t living up to the director’s expectations.

            “What did we do wrong?” Eleanor questioned, surprised from the outburst.

            “Nothing Eleanor.” Mr. Sanderson offered her some assurance that, “you did nothing wrong. You were lovely as always.”

She smiled, a little too grateful in Harry’s opinion.

_Suck up._

            “ _You_ on the other hand Louis, what the hell are you doing?” Mr. Sanderson accused with a finger, making the lead actor dejected, avoiding eye contact. “We’ve done the hard bits, and I’ve seen you kissing Eleanor without a problem, on and off stage. So why now? Why are you being all awkward and disconnected in kissing her?”

Harry felt bad for Louis, seeing as he couldn’t get a single word out as Mr. Sanderson continued to vent.

            “What is it? Do you feel weird being watched? Well news flash, Louis! You are an actor-the lead! If you have a problem with that then I suggest you get your shit together, because I am _not_ far from recasting and start the process all over again. Even if we’re only a few weeks till opening night. I gave you this role, so you better remind me why.”

Louis still hasn’t looked up, but made to nod his head to acknowledge.  All Harry wanted to do was hug him, and tell him, it was going to be okay, that it’s just Mr. Sanderson’s own nerves he was complaining about. But he refrained from doing so, no matter how much it ached him to.

Eleanor just stood there, looking worried, but what was that going to do? She was the girlfriend. Would it kill her to show some form of affection?

 _I mean-_ she was standing right next to him! _Hold his hand, damn it!_

Mr. Sanderson sighed, feeling the tension around him.

           “Alright people, looks like we’re done for the day.” He sounded so disappointed, as if it was too early to pack up. Harry took a glimpse of his watch, it was already 11. “We’ll do this again tomorrow. Bright and early! And I hope it’ll be different.”

The rest of the crew started to scatter off the stage, picking up their bags on the floor and made their way out of the theatre.

Harry could hear them all mumbling and whispering to each other and it was obvious they were talking about Louis. He never wanted to beat shit out of anyone as he did at that moment. What ever happened to common courtesy? Couldn’t they wait until they were out of sight, at least?

_Fucking gossips._

Mr. Sanderson collected his bag, among the many varies of chairs adjacent to the stage and without a second glance he exits the room with a loud bang of the doors.

 _Directors_.

            “Wanna come to my place? Mom made extra for dinner.” Eleanor brightly offered, standing close to Louis’ side. He shook his head to decline, though.

“No I need to work on my stuff for a while.”

            “You want me to stay?”

            “Nah, you go ahead.” He tried to wave off, with a small smile. “You must be exhausted, from staying at this hour right after cheerleading practice.”

            “Just a little bit.” She muttered, rotating her neck til she feels a familiar relaxing crack. “Are you sure?”

He nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Go on now.”

            “What about you?” She turned to Harry, with a curious face. “Why are you still here?”

Harry meekly shrugged, suddenly aware of her marking her territory on Louis. But it wasn’t Harry’s fault. This is what he was assigned to do.

            “I can’t leave till there’s someone remaining in the theatre.”

It was true. Maybe half of it. He also didn’t want to leave Louis alone, not when he knew he needed at least someone with him. Any other day, Harry would have gladly walked away or ran and hide, but tonight was different. Suddenly finding some kind of courage to stay. It wasn’t about Harry’s feelings for the lad, but rather just being there with him, for whatever he needed him to be.

Eleanor raised brow at his direction suspiciously, making Harry slightly squirm in his place as he stood a little far off the stage. But with a purse of her lips, she was gathering her books and clutching her hand bag onto her shoulder.

            “Text me, okay.” With a quick peck on her boyfriend’s cheek she leaves Harry and Louis alone.

For the first few moments of silence it was fine. Like any particular day. But after a while, it became awkward. Maybe it was the how Louis was just there, not making a single sound. He continued to mindlessly stare at the wooden floor and only moved to blink his eyes. It was different seeing Louis like that. He was always moving about, and shouting and smiling and just- happy about his day. This was the first time in such a long time, Harry had seen Louis like this. The last time this happened, it must’ve been at least twelve years ago. And Harry still remembers that day. It was the first time, Harry ever spoke to Louis.

            “Takes you back, huh?”

Harry turns to find the other lad curiously looking at him.

            “Huh?”

Louis smiles, then looks at another direction. “I don’t why, but suddenly I’m back to that night.”

            “Umm..”

            “You probably don’t remember.” Louis brushes off. “But I do.”

Harry did though. Every single detail of that night was embedded into his memory. Not only was that the first time they’ve shared their first conversation but that night was the first time Harry knew for certain, that he had fallen in love with Louis Tomlinson.

It was times like this that Harry, no matter how smart he was on paper, proved just how stupid he actually is. School wise, he was exemplary and brilliant. But, alone with his neighbor, he can’t seem to get a grasp on his intelligence.

            “Logic isn’t gonna fix this Harry.” Louis suddenly says, as if he could see through the curly haired lad with his struggle. “I can actually see the calculator going haywire as you think.” He lightly chuckles.

Harry shuffles awkwardly in his place. “Believe me, when I say I wish it could.”

            “You are a genius after all.”

            “Some genius I am.” Harry snorts in contradiction. “I can’t even provide a solution to this.”

            “It’s not a simple equation involving numbers and scientific facts. And it isn’t yours to solve, isn’t?”

            “I just wanted to help.”

Louis smiled, in some way to comfort the lad. “I know.”

Harry will never get tired of seeing that smile. Even if it was forced. Which sounds incredibly selfish. But Harry would take anything he can get out of Louis.  

            “I’m sorry.” Louis amended, then made to rub his face with his palms, a dragging sigh escapes showing just how exhausted he was.

            "It's going to be fine." Harry assured, seeing the stress in Louis eyes.

            "No it's not!" Louis stood up protesting, sounding weak and about to give up on the whole thing. "We're opening in three weeks and I still can't get this scene right!"

            “Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s been a long day is all.” Harry tried again. “Tomorrow will be different. I know it will.”

But Louis was having trouble believing in Harry’s words. Even if it was said with every sincerity, he didn’t know Harry had to give.

Louis voiced out his inner thoughts.  

            "This is the part where everything begins. This is where Romeo sees Juliet for the first time and instantly fell in love. And this is where he only sees her. And no one else can compete. The part where he forgot everything, and only she existed in his world.  And there was beauty, perfection, and life began for him.

It's where everything will fall into place.

If I can't get this right, then maybe I'm not worthy to be Romeo. I know it's silly and maybe I am thinking about it too much. But I can never live with myself knowing I could've given all I can to him. If I don't, I might as well be an actor who works to pay the bills rather than be the actor who does it out of passion and privilege to one of the greatest roles of all time."

            There are only a few opportunities in life where a person will ever get to experience passion; within yourself or someone else. And most of the time it can pass by in a blink of an eye.

But if you’re truly lucky and have enough patience to wait, you get to see it unfold right in front you.

Suddenly, it feels like life has handed you a gift. An incredibly special gift only those who are worthy can receive.

And Harry, what a fortunate person he was, because Louis even in his state of trouble, there was light and life passionately surrounding him.

If it weren’t for the story Louis once told him, he wouldn’t think to agree, but Louis makes an incredibly bright star.  As where he truly belongs: Pure, unadulterated, beauty in a sea of darkness.

            "I'm sorry, I just unleashed all that on you." Louis mumbled, appearing to gather the script to work on the scene.

That realization is what it took for Harry to reach out and envelop him in a warm embrace.

            "It's not silly," Harry murmured in his hair. "I think what you’re doing is amazing. Of all the people casted for this you are the only person who gives life to the character and brings emotion to the words. I don't think anyone else could've done what you are trying to achieve. For that I am awed. Completely."

Stunned. Completely, speechlessly, and utterly stunned. That is Louis Tomlinson, in Harry’s arms, frozen at what he just heard.

Both of them amazed with each other.

With a deep breath, Louis surrenders himself to Harry, all the weight he carried disappeared. Letting the comfort of his embrace surround him.

            “Thank you.” Louis breathed onto Harry’s shoulder.

            “For what?”

            “For not leaving.”

And just like that, Harry was back to a certain memory that he kept in his heart for a long time. 

            “Never.”

~*~

Flashback …

Six year old Harry was awakened by an ear screeching sound coming outside his bedroom. It was painfully familiar. As he listened further, he recognizes it as car tires full speeding on the street, and as he continued to listen, his ears caught a voice – screaming that echoed the streets.

            “DADDY!”

It was Louis. Why was he screaming?

Harry pushed off his Powerpuff Girls comforter – don’t ask he will deny ever owning them – and turned to the window above his bed to peek from the curtains.

Louis emerged from his house, running and screaming to the direction of an unfamiliar vehicle as it was making its way down the road.

            “DADDY! DON’T GO! TAKE ME WITH YOU! DADDDDYYYY! TAKE ME WITH YOU!” Louis chased after the vehicle, but the street was so damp after the rain, he fell flat; his entire weight on his chest.

Harry felt the impact of the fall as if he had fallen himself and couldn’t help but feel sad for the scene unfolding below him.

The car had disappeared to the shadows and Louis helplessly crying, screaming, begging, and still remained on the wet, cold, concrete floor.

            “DADDDDYYYYY!!!! COME BAAAAAACCCCKKK!!! PLEEAAAASSEEEE!!! DON’T LEAVE MEEEE!!!”

That was the first time Harry had ever seen the boy in tears and it pained him just as much as Louis did. Louis then suddenly pushes himself up. But only to sit, pulling his legs together and rest his head on crossed arms. Not only was Louis sad, but he looked, defeated. Like all the life in him had suddenly left and disappeared. For what seems like an eternity, Louis continued to remain where he was and Harry to stare through his window. Through every minute that passed Harry couldn’t help but think and worry that Louis might’ve died right there. It was only when Louis finally lifted his chin that Harry felt the slightest bit of relief. But when he saw how raw and empty Louis eyes had become, he panicked.

Who was once the brightest boy Harry had ever seen had lost his light. 

Without a second thought, Harry quickly got out of his bed, slips on his dinosaur bedroom slippers and quickly sneaks out of his bedroom. Making sure his mom was still inside her room, Harry then dashes for the front door and was out of the house at 1 in the morning.

He took very cautious steps towards the boy who remained seated on the street, taking extremely silent movements. Not quiet enough as Louis sees him and Harry was like a deer caught in the headlights, frozen in place by the dead gaze of the blue-eyed boy. 

            “Harry?” Louis mutters, wiping his nose with his pajama sleeve and taking a big sniff.

The younger lad would’ve made a comment about proper hygiene but, maybe some other time.

            “What are you doing here? It’s late.”

Harry frowned at that.

            “Could ask you the same thing.” He replied, feeling so bold. But regrets it the moment he said it. How could he be so insensitive? “I—I mean—I’m sorry—I just-”

Louis released a small but genuine chuckle, surprising the other boy.

            “It’s okay Harry.” With a smile he said. “I know why I am here, which is probably why you’re here too.”

Again, Harry was trapped like a deer and doesn’t remember to respond. It seemed he didn’t need to, as Louis suddenly lays his back on the concrete, without a care that, “it’s wet.”

            “Lay down with me, Harry.” Louis says, looking at the starless abyss.

Harry shuffles in his place, contemplating whether to give into Louis’ request and suffer the consequence when his mother washes his clothes.

            “Harry,” Louis whines, impatient as always.

            “But it’s wet.”

            “Harry,”

            “We should just go inside.”

            “Harry!”

            “Fine!”

Louis moves further to his side, giving the other boy some space. He giggles when Harry dejects into place, like it’s the most impossible thing he’s done ever.

            “Shut up.” Harry tells him, which only made Louis’s giggles transform into a full blown cackle.

Harry rolled his eyes, and focused on staring at the sky.

            “There’s nothing up there.” He noted, minding the dark smog, the covered the sky.

Louis suddenly went quite again and Harry was afraid that he had broken the boy.

            “You’re wrong.” Louis muttered softly, focused on the starless blanket. “The stars are there, they’re just hiding.”

            “Right, cause it rained this morning.”

            “No.” Louis shook his head. “Because there’s nobody welcomed in the world tonight.”

Harry turned his neck to look at the boy next to him, who continued to stare at the night sky with so much wonder. Life is finally returning in his eyes. He smiled in thought.

            “Did you know each person represents a star when they’re born?”

Harry shook his head, not opting to break the light silence in his part, too conscious of shattering the moment.

            “Well, that’s what I believe. When Lottie was born, I wasn’t allowed to be in the room with mom. Me and –” he took a deep breath, as if he couldn’t say the word. “well, we were in the waiting room- I think that’s what it’s called. It had this view of a big garden outside and it was night, and the stars appeared that time, all I could do was watch each one carefully. I remember at one particular space appeared the brightest star of them all and it was like it winked at me. Then a nurse came out of the room and told me I had a baby sister. Right then I believed that every star in the sky was every person in the world being born.

That’s why the sky is so dark tonight. There are no babies born today. A blank canvass cause nobody is welcomed in the world.”

Harry didn’t know what to say. It was one of the most hauntingly beautiful things he’s ever heard in his life. He never thought Louis was capable of having thoughts like that. It was amazing. He was amazing.

            “My dad left us.” Louis finally admits, trying his hardest to put on a brave face.

Harry blinked, still looking at Louis and then the other smiled, but it was a sad smile.

            “He told me to be a good boy and take care of Lottie and mom.” From the corner of his eye, a tear fell down on the grass and Harry wished more than anything to just collect that tear and give it back to the boy, because a person like Louis didn’t deserve to waste his tears on people like that. “He just left Harry. In the middle of night while mom is still at the hospital. He left me and Lottie alone in the house.”

            “You’re outside right now, while Lottie is still inside.” Harry pointed out. “You left her too.”

            “Are you telling me to go in now?” Louis chuckles.

            “That’s not what I-”

            “Cause if you don’t mind, I wanna stay here for a while, and if it’s okay, could you stay with me too?”

It was like an electric shock to Harry’s whole nervous system. Every inch of him was nonresponsive. And even if it wasn’t he wouldn’t know how to. It may be a simple request, but what do you say to someone who had just been left by someone dear to them?

He doesn’t speak again, and remains where he is. Louis moves closer to Harry’s side till his head was just above Harry’s shoulder, so he appeared smaller than him, but taller from the waist down.

            “Thank you, Harry.”

            “For what, Louis?”

            “For not leaving.”

This time, Harry smiled. “Never.”

Little did Harry know, Louis was slowly reaching for his hand until two headlights appeared down there lane.

Jay was home. They had to go back to their own galaxy.

That night as Harry was getting back to his bed he made a simple wish. He only wished, that Louis Tomlinson, would never be alone again.

 


	4. Christmas Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to even consider reading my fanfiction. Truly blessed! And now I want to apologize about the scene. I have no idea if people in the UK have games during Christmas season. So I’m sorry. And also, for not writing about the school play. I felt like that part of their story doesn’t need to be explained. I didn’t feel it with the lyrics of the song. So I’ll just leave it to you guys to imagine what happens there. So the story in this chapter, another event happens and I hope you guys enjoy it and don’t kill me for it. But here we go! Chapter 4.

_For I never knew the art of making love_

_Though my heart aches with love for you_

 

~*~

            A roar of celebration erupted in the field, as the team captain closed the game with a victory.

The whole school rejoiced, standing by the bleachers. They all jumped and cheered in glee.

Once again they announced a win for the fourth time in two years. And it was all thanks to the wonder-boy, Louis Tomlinson.

            His team and mates ran to him in high spirit, surrounded him with no place to escape then gathered him, and lift him by their shoulders to celebrate his reign.

            “Louis! Louis! Louis!” They chanted. He himself, basked into their atmosphere.

But amongst the exultant sea, someone stood by the farthest end, silently masking his sadness for the captain as he watched.

            Harry knew things. Things that within Louis’ circle of so called friends didn’t and would never try to understand.

He knew how hard Louis trained _every_ single day, just because he was expected to. He knew how exhausted he truly was. He knew how angry he had become. He knew how much time he had lost with his family and how hated himself for it. He knew that at this moment, Louis baby sister – Lottie, who had grown to be a beautiful and talented girl is performing in a talent show and had disappointed her once again. That Louis’ mother watched every single game he participated, every play he was casted, every science fair he competed, supported in everything he did and had neglected her daughter in her own affairs.

Harry knew being the most popular person in school was no easy task. That fame came with a heavy price. And Louis was deep in debt.

How did he know? Well, if someone really looked closely, in the depths of Louis eyes, was someone who hides his pain and regret. Underneath his charming smile and wittiness, is a brother who his sister yells at and blames for her lack of attention from their only parent.

            When Louis’ father left, after about a few weeks, Jay noticed how closed-up and withdrawn Louis had become. He started losing his appetite and lost an obscene amount of weight and became the very definition of ‘skin and bones.’ Sometimes, on quiet nights Louis would scream in his sleep and wake the whole village. And because Jay worked night shifts at the hospital she couldn’t always be there to console him and had asked Anne to watch over from time to time. It got worse with each passing day that Jay duplicated a key for her.

And on very rare occasions, Harry would find the two mothers on the couch. Jay had been crying and Anne would be there for support. It’s amazing how mothers can be so brave to hide their tears. When they’d catch him watching, Jay would quickly wipe her tears and muster a smile at him.

          _“Oh hello, Harry.”_ She’d say. _“Why are you up so late? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”_

Again she would smile. Then Harry would mumble something about being thirsty.

 _“Ran along then, bee.”_ His mother would go. And Harry would.

Harry couldn’t count how many nights he had woken up to sounds of Louis’ screams all the way across the street. And how much he felt so much pain for Louis and Jay and wished and wished with all his heart for the boy to feel better and never be alone. He started to wonder if wishes on stars were all just kids’ tale, and just a stupid fantasy.

But after several months passed, he started to get better. He started to smile, like really smile. And found some kind of peace with himself. And then that’s when Harry believed again. That wishes do come true.

By the time Louis was 13, he started hanging out with Zayn Malik. A handsome boy, with amazing middle eastern features and raven hair who moved from Bradford. Instantly they clicked and were inseparable the moment they met.

For some reason, Harry felt jealous even though it was clear their relationship was only platonic. But it was how they always occupied their time with each other; always creating cautious and mischief –Louis being the instigator- and sharing a laugh and enjoying their company.

Harry knew in his mind that Zayn was partly the reason Louis stayed sane through the years. And that hurt a lot. As he wanted so badly to be the reason, but Harry wasn’t. And yet, seeing the boy smile and having fun warmed Harry’s heart and hushed that voice at the back of his head, because whatever made Louis happy, made him happy as well, even if he wasn’t the source of that happiness.

But then, along came Eleanor Calder, the most popular girl in school and stole Louis’s heart like a snap of two fingers  with her perfectly salon-colored, wavy long hair, - apparently described by majority of their school as – perfect ass, great rack and sweet face.

That moment was still vivid everytime it played on Harry’s mind.

He, Niall, and Cher decided to spend their break at the school's playground. They were about 12 that time, Harry was hanging upside-down on the monkey bars, sharing a laugh with them. He mentioned- rather pointed of the way Niall was looking at Cher and the two instantly blushed and got strangely quiet. Harry just laughed at their expense, but then he caught a glimpse of a familiar blue-eyed boy along with his mate Zayn.

            _“I’m gonna do it.”_ He said, still upside-down.

            _“What?”_ Niall had asked, curiously.

            _“I’m gonna tell Louis.”_

            _“Are you CRAZY?”_

_“Maybe I am.”_

_“Go for it Harry. Chase your happiness.”_ Cher kindly encouraged her friend.

But he suddenly lost his voice as the two friends were not alone. Eleanor Calder who was rumored to be climbing up the pyramid of popularity has joined them and from what Harry can gather, she and Louis were getting rather cozy.

After two days, the news of Louis and Eleanor dating spread like a bad rash through the entire school. Then it wasn't long until they properly announced they were official together, and Harry felt like the worst case of some kind of virus mutated in him and couldn't find the will to attend school. It didn't matter that much. His grades were exemplary and met the required GPA to earn a few days away from school.

That was a bad year and now, four years flashed, the couple remained strong. Crowned with the title, “The ultimate power couple.”

Louis had gained an army of admirers, and group of friends who shared his rank in popularity through the years. He was named Captain of their team, always starred as the lead in school plays, won as ‘Home Coming Prince,’ and known to be on the waiting list for all the universities he had applied beforehand.

But within his long line of supporters there was someone who felt the complete opposite. Someone began to feel alone. Felt unappreciated. Invisible. A nobody. A stranger. A ghost.    

            Remember how Harry only had three friends? Well to further elaborate, they were, his mother –unfortunately-, Niall and Cher –he considered them as one, when they finally admitted their feelings towards one another-, and then to his surprise, there was Charlotte; AKA Lottie, AKA Louis’ baby sister.

Since Lottie was so young, when the storm happened, she wasn’t that affected. She barely remembered her father. Neither Jay nor Louis –especially Louis- bother to paint a picture of him and Lottie never asked. All she knew was their father left a long time ago and that was it. She didn’t even know what he looked like as Jay had cut him from all their pictures and life. Never mind the man’s name, because why bother remembering someone who doesn’t exist anymore. She had a father and now she didn’t.

At first, it wasn’t a bother to her. At her age of 3, she was just a kid who somewhat understood the condition of her brother. And what a kind girl she was. Times in her brother’s nightmares she’d be quick on her feet to enter his room and just hugged him till he slowly but not entirely calmed down. Sometimes Anne would find them both on Louis’ bed, with little Lottie brushing Louis’ hair and mumbling something in his ear. And it worked. Anne would tell Lottie to go back to her bed but she’d shake her head and say, _“Baba,”_ like she was saying, _“no, my big brother needs me.”_ And she was practically a baby.  Bless her soul. How incredibly lucky Louis was to have a sister like her.

Most nights Harry finds himself in Louis’ house. It became a regular occurrence that he and Charlotte would have “play dates” almost everyday even if Louis doesn’t have nightmares; either in their house or Harry’s.  

They grew rather close. Harry became fond of her and treated her like his own sister and Charlotte saw him as an older brother.

When Louis didn’t wake the neighborhood with his screams, he would stare blankly into space and not utter a word. Trapped in his own world.

There was one incident, that stuck into Charlotte’s memory that that was the start of her never speaking to her brother and acknowledging his presences. An absolute trauma in her childhood, that she stopped going to her brother’s room and waited for Anne to enter their house and play with Harry in her room with the door shut.

It happened on a Friday afternoon. Like every other day, Louis was wide awake and staring at nothing as Charlotte was playing with her dolls.

She remembered talking to him, even if it was as simple as saying, _“Louis wanna play with my dolls?”_ or, _“Wanna play tea pary with me?”_ Then she would walk up to him in his corner and place a tiara on top of his head and a feathery scarf around his neck, then bring all her toys to his place and play, even though he wouldn’t react to any of it.

But on this day, Charlotte would come to regret that decision. As never the possibility of what could happen, did.

And all it took was a touch of a finger.

Concern visibly played across Lottie’s face as she timidly tapped on Louis’ shoulder.  And that’s when it happened.

Harry never truly knew what went down that day. But whatever did, suddenly change Lottie’s view of her brother. He remembers being inside her room with the door locked and she would be scared all the time.

Then she turned 6, and she wasn’t scared anymore. But she was quiet.

Passed the years went and Lottie had become angry towards her brother and her mother. As mentioned before, they started to neglect her.

Harry remembers her exact words, right around time she had started to take a liking to playing the piano. _“It’s like I don’t even exist anymore.”_ They were in the living-room, Lottie was playing with the keys of the grand piano, Harry sitting next to her. _“Louis is the sun and everyone is orbiting around him and nothing exists.”_ With a sad smile she goes, her eyes on the keys she’s mindlessly press.

Harry was 10 and she had just turned 7. He reached into his pocket to produce a small and neatly wrapped present and handed it to her. _“Happy Birthday, Lottie.”_ He said. _“Louis may be the sun but you are a star in my universe and you will always exist to me.”_

He kept his promise. For every recital, for every talent show or in anything she was included in, he was always there.

            That is why he had only been in time for the remaining minutes of the game and didn’t bother to get a proper place to sit as it was nearing the end. And all he caught was the image of Louis kicking the ball and it flying across the field and the loud blow a whistle indicating the end of the competition. He went to Lottie’s performance first, said a quick yet heartfelt ‘congratulations’ then went on to catch whatever was left of the game.

            “Harry! There you are.” Cher’s instantly grabbed his attention, away from his deep thoughts. “Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you.”

He released a low chuckle. “I was at the talent show, watched Lottie perform.”

            “Oh, how was it?”

            “She was perfect. As usual.”

            “Good, good.”

            “Harreh!” Niall’s thick Irish accent was still audible through the roaring crowd, as he made his way to them. “Wer you been, lad?”

            “Lottie’s talent show.”

            “Was that todeh?”

He nods to answer.

            “How everything go?”

            “Perfect.” He repeats, with a proud smile. “She was absolutely perfect.”

Amused, Cher raised an eyebrow at him and with a sly smirk at the corner of her ruby lips she says, “Perfect, eh?”

The two boys turn to her, Harry was not at all amused.

            “Yes. She was.” It sounded like a question. “What exactly are you implying?” 

She hummed, a look of contemplation played.

            “And just exactly how perfect is she?”

Now Harry got the hint. He narrowed his eyes warningly at her. “Be very careful with the next words you speak Loyd for they may be your last.”

At that she laughs at his sudden outburst, shaking her head in the process.

            “Relax Harold,” She gently shakes him by the shoulder. “I’m just messin’ with you.” She adds, ruffling the top of his messy curls just to annoy him.

            “Stop it!” He recoils away, swatting her hand instinctively. He turns his attention to Niall, a plea in his green eyes. “Niall, please control your woman.”

But his best friend only shrugged, as if to say, _“I can’t.”_

Someone announcing through the microphone splits their attention.

            “Victory party at my house tonight! Food and booze for everyone!”

Everyone cheered, even the teachers, which was odd considering they were all minors. But hey, it was a night to celebrate. So who cares?

            “Looks like wer’ drinken’, beb.” Niall says to his girlfriend, to which she agreed. “You comin’ Harreh?”

It wasn’t exactly a serious question, but rather a joke on Niall’s end as he knew Harry wasn’t one to spend his nights drinking or having fun like a normal teenager but, the curly haired boy finds himself staring across the field, his eyes landing on a pair of blues that watched him.

Louis gave him a smile, as if he was encouraging Harry to join the party. And who was Harry to ever decline from the school’s champion?

            “Maybe I will.” He said, shocking himself and his two friends.

Bzzed. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, taking it out to find a message from an unknown number.

            “Harry? Are you sick?” He hears Cher asks in genuine concern.

**‘Catch you later! Share a drink maybe? – Louis A. Tomlinson’**

Harry stares at the screen for a few beats to make sure he read the name right and when he was absolutely certain that it was the team captain, he pockets the phone and says, “Guess I’m drinking tonight.”

He turns to find the couple with their jaw dropped in the most comical way he imagined them reaching the ground if it was a cartoon. It took Harry to physically grab them by their wrist and let them be pulled across the field that it registered to the couple that he wasn’t kidding and it was really happening.

They broke contact, only for Cher to wrap an arm around Harry’s waist and Niall to sling his on his friend’s shoulder.

At the top of Niall’s voice he shouted, “IT’S A MIRACLE! A MIRACLE! THANK YOU CHRISTMAS MAGIC!!!”

The couple synced with a cheery,

            “WOHOO!!!” And Harry was glad to share Christmas with his two friends, and maybe the possibility of sharing the magic with Louis Tomlinson.       

    

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still to come, the Christmas party! Harry finds himself playing ‘spin the bottle’ with Louis. And it just might end with a Christmas kiss. XXX


	5. The Christmas Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no words. I am very very sorry. But here it is guys! Again I am really sorry. Got busy with school and a bit with work. I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> A special thanks to my boyfriend who gladly proofread this chapter even though he wants nothing to do with the fandom! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy it!!!

  _A chance that you might love me too_

~*~

            Like every game ending in victory, a celebration took place in one of the cheer squad’s domain. Particularly, in the cheer captain’s.

Of course you have to be well acquainted within their circle, yet there is a difference to an invitation as to being invited. So yeah, everyone had an official invitation but not everyone was invited. And that is how school-genius Harry Styles finds himself drinking beer in Eleanor Calder’s kitchen with Niall and Cher. All thanks to his association with the drama department. He was invited. (“She’s All That” reference much?)

Christina Aguilera is blasting through the speakers as the party in her words, “come to life.”

It’s no surprise when he doesn’t make himself noticeable. Not that he needs to try. He’s just a ghost in that particular sea.

At least he’s not alone.

He glanced at the couple next to him, who were currently occupied by sucking each other’s tongues like their life depended on it, c _ompletely_ ignoring their friend.

With a look of horror from how unbelievably disgusting the couple was, Harry downs the remains of his beer to suppress his nausea and focuses at the scene in front of him.

He regrets it instantly.

It seems that everyone at the party was either with someone or about to get it on with someone. And Harry was just with himself.

_Fucking couples._

            “Oi mate.” Niall grabs his attention.

There Harry finds the Irish lad split between facing him yet his face directed to Cher’s side, to which she was on a life’s mission to suck on Niall’s tongue.

_Could you guys get anymore disgusting?_  

             “You two are revolting.”

             “I’d like to think we’re passionate.” The blonde avidly opposed, leaving a quick peck on Cher’s lips before she devours his mouth again. “You’re just jealous.”

Harry took a good solid look at the couple.

            “I’m definitely not.” He guaranteed.  “Have I mentioned how disgusting you two are?”

Niall only rolls his eyes at him.

            “You’re like two animals on heat.”

            “And you my friend are a sexually frustrated teenage loner with a long time fascination for the team captain.”

            “Shush!” Harry fervently silenced the blonde. “Keep your voice down Niall! He’s right there!”

And Louis was just a few meters away, having a drink with Zayn and another member of their team, a ginger man named Ed Sheeran.

            “Please,” Cher miraculously detaches “herself” from Niall. Her lips, wet and swollen from being _inhaled_ for who knows how long. “the music is so loud, I bet he wouldn’t hear if you were masturbating and screamed his name when you cum.”

The look of absolute shock and horror displayed on both Harry and Niall from not just what Cher had said, but also from how the subject of their conversation was right next to her and she had no clue. 

_Fuck,_ they both thought.

            “Uh, hey.” Louis mumbles awkwardly as he held two shot glasses in his hands.

Cher went stiff altogether, her eyes wide as she cautiously turns, confirming that Louis was indeed beside her.

            “Oh,”

Harry wanted to slap her right there for being unnecessarily obvious.

            “Hi, Louis.”

            “Cher.” Louis exchanged, kindly. “Was wondering if any of you were interested in sharing a shot?” 

The trio secretly relaxed as the captain appeared clueless to their distraught, the couple smiled at his inquiry.

            “Love to-”

            “But unfortunateleh me mates are waitin’ for uz.” Niall was quick to cut her off.

Harry spared his friend an alarmed look that said, _“don’t you dare leave me with him,”_ But the blonde returns with a mischievous hint in his eyes and was already tugging Cher from the group and walking away. “Maybe Harreh would! Later lads.”

            “Bye Louis. Catch you later Harry.” Cher rushed, gladly letting her be pulled by the blonde. 

            “Bye.” Louis mumbles, waving at the couple as they left, disappearing to the backyard.

Harry was stupefied to say the least, starring at the open space where his two “friends” went off and wondered if he should make a run after them. Just to kill them. It was Niall making a swift appearance to wave at him and disappear completely that motivated Harry to pay him a visit in his sleep and choke him to death.

            “So, about the shot?”

He directs his attention to Louis, who was still holding the two glasses in midair. Timidly, he waits for the curly haired boy’s answer.

            “Care for one?” Louis coaxes with a smile.

Why does he have to be so beautiful?

Harry was ultimately powerless, reaching for the drink with a nervous hand.

            “Thanks,” He mutters.

With a clink of their glasses, Louis goes, “Cheers mate!” and they both consume the drink - what Harry guessed to be tequila – in a single gulp.

They both groaned as the bitterness coats their tongue, feeling the burn run down their throats and slowly making its way to the remaining contents of their stomach.     

            “Wow,” Harry finds himself saying, and coughs as he tries to mask a sickened expression. “That was, well that was _something_.”

He didn’t want to appear like a loser in front of his – for a lack of a better term - crush after all.

            “Gross! Ugh!” Louis shakes his head, sticking out his tongue like a kid who tasted vegetables for the first time, surprising the other boy. “Sorry about that. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t part of the dare.”

            “Dare?”

Louis favorably hummed as he nodded.

            “Friends of mine decided to play ‘spin the bottle’ but it turned to ‘kiss or dare’ when a lot suddenly joined in.”

Harry paused to remember.

            “That was fast. For a minute there I saw you having a drink with Ed and Zayn. If you had moved I would’ve noticed.”

Ever had a moment when you say something and regret it instantly? To quote “Mean Girls,” the word vomit.

Louis made Harry anxious when he raised a curious eyebrow at him and didn’t say a word.

_Crap!_

            “Would’ve noticed?” Louis voice presented amusement. “Why? Couldn’t keep your eyes off me, could you?”

Louis’ lips forms into a grin as he stared at his neighbor. Being a complete tease, because he can.

            “You’re one cheeky bastard.”

            “Oh I know I am.” Louis smirked.

Fortunately someone was calling for the captain’s attention.

            “Oi Tomlinson! What’s the hold up?”

Harry’s eyes landed on none other than Zayn Malik, currently in a group circle where they were visibly playing “spin the bottle.”

Never had he been so grateful that he thanked the heavens for taking pity for his carelessness. He was safe for now.

            “Stop being a flirt and just bring the lad.”

There was something about the blue-eyed boy that people couldn’t say ‘no’ to. Maybe it was his charm? His enthusiasm? His wittiness? His sense of humor? His smile? Whatever it was, the next words that came out of him, Harry couldn’t find the strength to decline.

It took one look in Louis’ eye to confirm Harry’s intuition that he was indeed dead.

Louis didn’t even ask. All he said was, “come,” and started pulling him, then forcibly place him in the circle, in between Ed and Zayn.

How Harry found himself playing a game with the “popular” kids will forever be a wonderful mystery.

            “Everyone, this is Harry.” Louis announced to the circle as he sat in place, adjacent to him. “He was the production assistant during ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and my neighbor.”

In one breath Louis broke down their names, “Of course you know Eleanor. This is Jessie, Perrie, Jade, Leigh Anne, Connor, Joseph, Tommy, Cheston, Kasey, Maxie, Jacob, Sarah, Sarah Jay, Saraphine, Ed, and Zayn.”     

Harry could only wave awkwardly at them, being so shy to the particular group.

In Harry’s mind all he got was: _El, Curvy, Blondey, Tiny, Curly, Jock 1, Jock 2, Jock 3, Jock 4, Sleepy, Dopey, Beardy, The triplets, Red, !and Malik_. In other words: _Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen._

Without any idea of Harry’s thoughts, the group simultaneously went, “HI HARRY,” just like how they do in support groups. And yeah, Harry couldn’t deny he had an addiction.

            “Who takes seven minutes to have a shot with a stranger?” Zayn suddenly goes and all eyes turn to him.   

_Stranger. Yes, that’s what I am._

But to Harry’s surprise, Louis, for the first time, faces his best friend with a scowl.

            “Harry is no stranger, Zayn.” He said. “I’ve known him ever since we were kids. And he’s my sister’s boyfriend.”   

_BOYFRIEND?!_ Harry jolts. Suddenly all alarms went off in his head and not in a good way. 

            “Really?” Zayn mused, sounding impressed. “You and Lottie?”

            “No! No! No!” Harry frantically protested. “We- we’re not together- I mean- she’s not- I’m not her-”

            “But that’s not what I heard.” Louis claimed.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well,” Louis paused to recall. “She mentioned how you’ve always been there for every performance she had.”

            “That doesn’t mean-”

            “Front and center too!”

            “I was just being nic-”

            “And apparently, you never missed a single show.”

            “Okay, yeah, but-”

            “Not even once?” _Blondey_ joined in. “Not ever?”

            “He’s even the first to show up and last to leave.” Louis supplies.

            “Aw, that is so sweet!” _Tiny_ awed.

            “If that isn’t a romantic boyfriend then I don’t know what is.” _Curvy_ announced.

            “Again I’m not her b-”

            “Hold on, I’m a romantic boyfriend.” _Jock 4_ debated staring at _Curvy_ , to which she only rolled her eyes.

            “Taking me to Taco Bell every night doesn’t make it romantic.”   

            “On our first date you said you love tacos!”

            “I do! But _every_ night?”

            “You love them!”

            “Because you have coupons and said you didn’t want them to go to waste!”

            “I got them for you!”

            “Oh! And suddenly it’s my fault?”

Every single person started to groan in frustration, as if seeing Jessie and Cheston fighting was a regular occurrence and were getting sick of it.  

            “Guys, please not again.” Eleanor voiced a plea. “We’re playing a game here.”

            “Maybe you lot are. But I’m not playing with him around.” Jessie says, getting to her feet, appearing to leave. “I’m out of here.”

            “No. _I’ll_ leave.” Cheston protest already facing the opposite direction. “Maybe find a random girl and take her out to _Taco Bell_.”

            “That’s good, for someone with zero originality.” Jessie yells from the door.

            “Who needs originality when we have tacos?!” Cheston yells back, appearing to follow her direction.

The screaming match could still be heard from the inside, even with all the music, until they couldn’t anymore.

_What just happened?_

“So!” Louis clapped suddenly, snapping everyone back to the, “game?”

With that, everyone went back to their business as if it was the most natural thing to do. Everyone that is except Harry, who went blank.

            “Don’t worry about that, mate. They wouldn’t be Jessie and Cheston if they didn’t yell at each other.” He heard _Jock 1_ – Connor – explain.

            “And how often is that?”

            “Enough for us to leave if they won’t.” Louis answered. “But let’s not dwell on that anymore. Whose turn is it?”

It took Jade – _Tiny_ – to spin the empty bottle of beer for Harry to ignore his view of the previous matter and chose to enjoy himself instead.     

As the game progressed, Harry notices the two rules had downed to one in particular. Forget ‘dare.’ All everyone was doing was ‘kiss.’ And they were loving it, and everyone apart from Harry was in a relationship with each other (Perrie and Zayn, Jade and Maxie, Leigh Anne and Connor, Joseph and Sarah, Ed and Kasey, Sarah Jay and Tommy, Jacob and Saraphine, and of course, Louis and Eleanor). It really strucked Harry was when the bottle would land on a girlfriend of another mate. To think the rules would change if it came to that. But no, it didn’t matter, nobody seemed to especially care. Except when the bottle landed on same sexes and the men went nuts watching the girls kiss in front of them. Cheering and wolf whistling as they watch their girlfriends play by the “rules.” And yes, the guys had their chance to kiss the guys.

Harry had kissed Perrie twice, Sarah Jay three times, and Jade once. It was pure luck that he kissed Jacob five times and not one person made a fuss about it – aside from the catcalls he received and someone might have _suggested_ them to use tongue. They did - because they all knew it was just a game. That’s all it was, a harmless drinking game between friends.

               “Woah!” Suddenly someone cried out. “The game has claimed its first twofold.”

And Harry’s world stopped. It literally did just stop. Because at that moment, for whatever reason, or probably someone was plotting a sick joke on him, the bottle landed between of course, no other than Louis Tomlinson and Louis’ girlfriend Eleanor Calder.

_Shit! Fuck!_ He wanted to cry. Of fucking course, _that_ had to happen. Of course it would. It’s like Math, carefully simplified answers to a specific term. A loopy solution to a general problem, fate.

               “What are the chances right?” Joseph went, his face red as a tomato from just how funny he thought the situation was. “The two Captains.”

               “Oh my God! Look at how uncomfortable Harry is!” Perrie had to point it out. And Harry never had wanted more than the floor to swallow him whole.

              “Forget Harry, look at the captain.” Ed, in his pseudo-state of neutralism for the entire game and having taken puffs from his stash of spliffs, speaks.

If there was one thing Louis was never known for, it was being shy, silent, awkward, timid, and still. At that moment, he was all five. He was averting his eyes, left and right, fidgeting the nape of his neck, and displaying a nervous smile on his lips.

             “Oh my God! Louis!!” Perrie once again, squealed. “Are you shy?”

The blue-eyed boy could only bite his lips as he was trying his best to hide his small nervous smile and nod. He couldn’t even respond.

His reaction caused the girls to shriek in glee and laughter as they couldn’t have ever seen such an adorable version of their friend.

            “It’s decided then!” Kasey couldn’t keep herself at bay. “Harry will kiss Louis.”

            “Absolutely!”, “I agree!”, “Yes!”, “Mhm!”, “PLEASE.” They – Leigh Anne, Jade, Sarah, Sarah Jay, and Perrie – simultaneously went. Everyone that is except for Eleanor, who no one noticed has remained unresponsive for the round.

Louis finally finds his voice, to chuckle. Looking up to a pair of green eyes that were slightly panicking, he says,

            “I’m game if you are.”

Now everyone turns to Harry, waiting for his response.

_Does he want me to kiss him?_ Harry perplexed, as he watched Louis’ eyes turn a more brilliant shade of blue under the light of the room. He wasn’t a hundred percent certain, but was he smiling at him?

Louis then smiled, in the most reassuring way and Harry was absolutely sure that Louis was _waiting_ for him.

He could feel his pulse under sweaty palms. His heartbeat keeps elevating with each second passing as he sat there without moving. Unable to think, unable to breathe, because Louis, the love of his life since he was just a little boy, was hinting that he wanted to be kissed.  And it wasn’t a dream anymore. It wasn’t a wish. It was happening, it was about to happen.

Cautiously, he lifts himself up. On his knees, he makes his way slowly towards him, his eyes never leaving his.

Call him crazy but, something in Louis’ eyes mirrored the way Harry was feeling; Fear? Patience? Anticipation? - Whatever it was…

_Just a few paces away._ He thought.

_A few paces more._

_Is that a smile I see?_

Closing his eyes, he dives in, but someone prompts. Lips collided with one another; they were soft, forced, quick, and strangely slippery as if they were wearing lip gloss.

He opens his eyes to find another had advanced in their place, someone he had no intention of sharing a kiss with.

A girl.

\- he will never know.

             “Nobody kisses my man except me.” She beamed in front of him, her tone somewhat in grave warning. She then places her lips close to his ear and whispers, “After all, I am and always will be ‘Juliet.”

Harry blinked, out of shock. He froze on the spot, and when Eleanor finally reveals herself, enough for their faces to be just a few distances, she formed an icy smile. And yes, Harry felt a chill run down his spine.

             “Thanks Harry!” She chirped, positive, fake and returns to her _rightful_ place, next to her boyfriend. “I get what you girls mean, his lips are soft and pouty.” 

You could literally hear a pin fall to the ground and kill the tension with a knife because of what Eleanor just did. It not only shocked Harry but everyone in the group. She just changed the rules of the game. It was no longer a game, but a demonstration of one’s rightful place.

Eleanor smiled again but this time, Harry heard her, loud and clear. _‘He’s mine.’_

There was absolutely no way to break the tension. Not even a nervous laughter or a comment would do the job. Nothing.

Suddenly, a ringtone of “How To Save A Life,” dissipates the silence and almost everyone inwardly sighs of relief.

             “Hello?” Instinctively, Louis answers his phone. “Oh, hey Lottie,”

_Bless his little sister!_ Harry rejoiced internally.

             “Yeah, Harry’s here- Uh- Yeah alright – Yeah I’ll tell him.” The call ends and returns his phone back to his pocket and looks at Harry. “Lottie is coming over, she kept calling you but she said you weren’t picking up.”

Harry took the hint as to keep the momentum going and retrieve his phone and discovered that he had 17 missed calls and 29 unread messages from her.

Zayn, the cool, yet equally snooty person that he was, took a peep of the screen and whistled.

             “Ohhhh, mate. Been there.” He cooed, sympathetically. “I remember when Perrie had a fit when I didn’t answer her calls and turned into one of our biggest fights ever. Remember babe?”

             “Umm.. Yeah. I remember, in return I didn’t speak with you for an entire week.”

             “It was your way of “poetic justice” if I remember correctly.”

             “I just wanted you to have a taste of your medicine.”

             “I rather you yelled at me at the time.”

             “And pass the opportunity?” Perrie smiled, dazzling pearly whites in place. “I don’t think so. You needed a lesson, Malik. And who better to do so, than me?”

             “I’m allowed one offense. Name another person I’ve done that to?”

Simultaneously, the circle answered,

             “Everyone!” And they all laughed.

All Harry could think of was, _this is good. This is very good. Everyone has moved on from the friction. This is good. This is good._

That is until someone opens another strain of tension to the group.

             “So Harry! With Lottie coming over, I’m _sure_ you are thrilled to finally be able to go public with her! I bet you’re just _dying_ to kiss her!”

How ever could anyone say something so sweet yet feel like a personal attack on them is a gift.  A gift Harry never received and was clearly written on Eleanor’s personality.

She was a chameleon. Hidden in plain sight, but there was her deep-seeded hatred towards the curly haired lad. No wonder she was the cheer captain.

             “Umm..” Harry hesitated, unable to process his words.

But Eleanor, didn’t care, she was on a mission.

             “Have you even kissed her?”

             “Eleanor,” Louis suddenly interferes but she ignored him and continued her torture on Harry.

             “Sorry, that is just too personal. Answer me this then, do you love her?”

             “Eleanor, stop!”

She snaps her neck to Louis, with a scowling expression.

              “Why are you defending him? I’m just thinking of Lottie, who happens to be _your_ sister. You should be thanking me for questioning him and his intentions.”

             “Then let me do it. On my terms, you can’t just attack people-”

             “It’s not an attack, I’m warning him. Because when it comes to love, people can get hurt. Intentionally or not, someone will always get hurt. And sometimes people lack the courage to confront their feelings- the truth that they just can’t take the hurt anymore, the lies, the deceit and someone should just take the initiative when they clearly see that it’s all lies.”

It was one of those moments when people just knew that it was a completely different problem that escalates. That it did not only involve people anymore, but several and they were all connected.

             “So I’ll ask you again, Harry.” She returns to face him. With emphases she says, “Do. You. Love. Her?”

It was an eternity of never ending silence again, but there was this time bomb. Harry only had a number of moments to stay in that particular silence and when consumed he needed to answer.

He knew what it was, but it felt like a weight on his shoulders. If he answers it has to be the right one, the one that would defuse the bomb. That would suffice everyone. No one would get hurt. No one, except him. And he was used to that, it happens every day. All he needed to do was say,

             “Yes.” The truth. He did love Lottie, but as a sister, a long trusted friend. “I do love her.” But no one, especially Eleanor Calder needed to know, wanted to know the specifics.

The way she smiled, was like, she had been holding it down for a long time. As if, she wanted to smile that way for a long time. Why?

             “Oh, Hi Lottie. Didn’t see you there.”

Harry wanted to completely disappear. Forever. This would never have happened if he just stayed at home and drowned in his studies. But he wanted a change of scene. He wanted to be with his friends, maybe interact with people. BE with people. He wanted to have fun.

Big mistake.

Lesson learned, never play a game with Eleanor Calder.

She won. And he concedes to his defeat.

             “Hey,” Lottie goes, in a norm. “I just got here. Was talking to some people after the recital.”

             “We heard, we heard.” Eleanor was being a delight. “We also heard of how much a success it was.”

Lottie curtly nods. “Yeah it was. But you wouldn’t know as you’ve never been to one of them.”

Everyone knows a power play when they see one. And the cheer captain was surprised of Lottie’s clever counter response.

She smiled at her competition. As if, it was healthy and wanted, lightly laughing.

             “Would’ve been there if it weren’t for the game. Someone had to be there to support your brother. He won the game for us!” Eleanor further animated. “Sorry about that, sis.”

Harry saw a grimace appeared on Lottie’s face before it was quickly shadowed by her sweet smile. It was evident how Lottie loathed her.

             “No worries, out of all the students, the teachers, and the parents watching the game, you couldn’t spare a few minutes to watch a simple recital. Of course, your time is much too important to waste on me. I mean, I remember that time I invited you to a performance back then and you went to a hair appointment. Heaven forbid you have one strand of hair out of place, _Sis_.”

Bad thing to say, but the way Eleanor could only blink for any kind of reaction was the best thing Harry had seen that night. And Harry had never been so blessed to have Lottie as a friend.

             “I think it’s about time you hang out with your boyfriend. After all, you have been missing him all night.”

Lottie immediately pulls Harry up, and twined their fingers together, and with a quick quirk of her lips she said,

              “I appreciate your consideration, you should try it sometime.” And with that she tugs Harry away from the group, to a far corner where Harry was glad no had occupied and there he released a long, unsteady breath.

He was panicking, hyperventilating, and slumping down to catch his breath.

A gentle hand rested on his back, coaxing him to, “relax, just relax Harry.”

But he was out of his mind, he couldn’t, but he was trying so hard to breathe.

             “Sh, sh,” She hushed in a comforting manner. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

He clenched his eyes shut, fighting back his tears from spilling.

             “You can cry when you’re alone. Not here.”

             “I-I--- I can’t--- Why would—Why did she—” He stuttered uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the recent events. “I don’t—I don’t understand—”

She cups his face, forcing him to look her in the eye.

             “Because, she’s Eleanor. She’s a bitch, and she takes pleasure in people’s misery ‘cause she can’t stand others being happy.” With more emphasis, she coaxes him. “Don’t give her the satisfaction or any hint that she won.”

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of their silhouette slowly dancing to the opening of “You Give Me Something.”

Her hands fall to her side, and what she’d say next was something he’d never been asked by anyone who knew his secret.

            “How much does it hurt?”

Pause. He took a breath.

            “Too much.”

Another pause. “I’m sorry.”

             “ _Hck_ ,”

And now he has the hiccups. Great. Lottie giggles at that, making Harry smile.

             “Thanks, Lottie.” Hiccup. “You’re really great you know that?”

She blushed, but she couldn’t resist ruffling the top of his messy curls.

            “Idiot, you’re just noticing that now?”

He was about to respond when they were extremely disturbed by the blow of an air horn from a distance.

All eyes went to the instigator, one of the players whom Harry couldn’t name.

Like a ringmaster in a proud stance, he beamed and announced to the crowd, “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR TONIGHT’S GRAND OPENING WE HAVE OUR FIRST VICTIMS OF THE CHRISTMAS KISS! THE CAPTAIN’S SISTER, LOTTIE TOMLINSON AND SCHOOL BOY GENIUS HIMSELF, HARRRRYYYY STYYYLES!!!!!!”

_What?_

The crowd roared and chanted them to, “kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” and automatically, the two looked up to find that there was indeed fresh mistletoe hanging above their heads.

_Shit._

Harry’s heart pounded painfully inside his chest and wanted to puke an excessive amount of blood in the process. His skin must be white as snow as he had never felt so cold in his life. And never had he had so many pairs of eyes on him that made him feel like a freak for people to gawk and laugh at. Cornered, defenseless – completely helpless.

At least his hiccups were gone.

He could see Louis, staring at their direction with his arms around Eleanor. They were watching and anticipating their next move, just like everybody else.

He wanted to die. He wanted to dig up a large whole and keep shoveling his way to the depths of the Earth’s core and remain there for the rest of his miserable life. It would be so much better than living through this. _Anything_ but this!

Some genius he was, having not a single clue on solving his way through this crisis and then he meets Lottie’s gaze, searching for a “Hail Mary.” To his surprise, her eyes were so full of warmth and comfort like she was telling him, that it was okay. It was okay.

_What was she thinking?_

She heard, she answered, “let’s give the people what they want.”

Like every beginning of a performance, she smiled at her audience then proceeded to the main performance as she went on her toes and pressed her lips on his, with her eyes closed for more flair.

Harry was stunned, unable to think of what to do. But when he saw the way Louis’ eyes glared, he deepened the kiss and gathered Lottie in his arms.

The crowd went wild as they watch them fall into the Christmas tradition, and applauded when they parted.

Lottie was unaffected, her smile still intact and charming with a curtsy as the show ended. Of course, she didn’t leave Harry to look like an idiot, taking his hand in leading him into a duo bow for they had finished their performance. And when Harry looked up, Louis had disappeared. Only Eleanor remained, offering a slow congratulatory clap as it was undeniably an incredible performance.

 

~ **L** ~

Seconds before the end game…

 

_It all comes down to two things._

_That’s me and the ball. The big finale. Only a few seconds before they call it and the pressure is on me now._

_Chaos surrounds the field but I don’t hear a sound. They’re probably calling out my name and I don’t make a single move._

_I need a moment to collect myself. This small, minor of a second is precious to me. I need this._

_It feels like I have an eternity when in reality it’s just one single moment. But when it’s just yourself, things can move impressively slow._

_In times where things play at a certain pace, sometimes you need to breathe. Just one breath. One moment of peace. And one person to snap you back where you need to be._

_So I do what I have to and finish the charade._

_Yes, it’s just a show._

_We’ve already won the game, but that’s not what the people want. They want a grand finale. And that is for me to kick this ball and score a goal within a few seconds to spare._

_Positioning myself at a perfect angle, I sneaked a peak to the bleachers._

_All I want, all I will ever need to do this… is you._

 

Kick.

Wait.

…

Goal. _We won._

…

_Show me those green eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't make promises anymore. But I since it's summer I will have more free time to write and hopefully update in a few days.


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